Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis in “The Help”
Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Like this:

* I saw three films over the weekend, so as not to get backlogged, I am going to post two of my reviews today. Also, I wanted to take a moment to address my review factors as I’m sure some of you might be wondering why I don’t have any one and two star reviews as of yet. I try to avoid films that I think could or will be disasters. With as many movies as I have seen and the many more that I want to see, I find that there is no reason to waste time on watching what I consider a bad film. Of course, every so often, I do run into one and there will be a bad review for it. However, for the most part, I try to avoid such films at all costs.

Copyright 1966 Columbia Pictures

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anyway, let’s get on with the actual review for this film. My girlfriend is going to kill me for what I rate this movie, as we had very differing opinions. To be fair, however, I will say that this is definitely the type of movie that you have to be in the mood for to enjoy. Not every day is a day for a strict drama set in the 1500s, just as not every day is right for a romantic comedy or intense thriller, etc.

A Man for All Seasons swept the 1966 Academy Awards. In addition to its Best Picture win, it won awards for Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Paul Scofield, Best Cinematography (Color), Best Costume Design (Color) and Best Adapted Screenplay, among receiving nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Robert Shaw and Best Supporting Actress for Wendy Hiller. The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann (High Noon, From Here to Eternity, Day of the Jackal, Sophie’s Choice) and was adapted from his stage play of the same name by Robert Bolt.

The story revolves around Sir Thomas More, played by Scofield, who stands up to King Henry VIII (Shaw) on moral grounds regarding the king’s decision to renounce the Royal Catholic Church. Henry VIII was originally married to Catherine of Aragon; however, she was barren and unable to have children. So, the King began an affair with Anne Boleyn. Yet, at this time it was unlawful to get a divorce in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite many efforts to lobby against the church, the king finally decides to renounce the church and start the Church of England, so as to be granted his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. In doing so, he makes it parliamentary law to take an oath recognizing his decisions that he is head of the Church of England and that his marriage to Catherine was annulled.

More, a lawyer, is a man of devout judicial and religious beliefs. In his heart he cannot accept that what the king has done to be right. For this betrayal of state, he is locked away in prison and eventually beheaded. This is a story of a man standing up for what he beliefs to be right, no matter the consequence. The epic stature of the film with England during the 1500s as a backdrop, creates an interesting contrast to the deeply personal story of More.

Everything about this film works. The story is excellent, the direction is perfect, the cinematography is beautiful and, first and foremost, the acting is exemplary. Scofield, as More, is amazing. Every scene he is in, he is able to command a presence; it is a very deserving win for Best Actor. The supporting cast which includes Wendy Hiller, Orson Welles, Robert Shaw and a very young John Hurt, are also a joy to watch.

Like I said, this is a movie you have to be in the mood for. If, however, you feel like an amazingly moving story of one man’s beliefs and convictions against the heads of state set against an epic, sprawling backdrop – then they don’t get much better than this.

A Soldier’s Story is a 1984 film directed by Norman Jewison. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Off-Broadway play A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller.

The film centers around the murder investigation concerning an African-American sergeant on a military barracks in Louisiana near the end of World War II. The victim, Sergeant Waters, is played by Adolph Caesar in an Academy Award nominated role. He is a found on the side of the road with two .45 caliber bullets in his chest and there is a lot of turmoil over the case due to concern over a race war if it’s found that a white officer had murdered Waters. To investigate, the army sends a Captain Davenport (Howard E. Rollins) from Washington, D.C. Davenport, who is a trained lawyer and the first black officer many people at the barracks have ever encountered, presses through racism, deceit and conflicting stories to try to get to the bottom of what happened to Waters. It is found through multiple interviews that Waters was not that good of a person in general and one who seemed to have many issues concerning his feelings towards both white and black people. The story unfolds to find a much deeper than originally expected motive in the case concerning Waters’s murder.

Jewison, as a director, is well suited for a script of this nature. Prior to this film, he had directed films such as In the Heat of the Night and …And Justice for All, both of which make strong statements towards equality and justice. His handling of delicate issues is always done with a certain air of dignity which really works well for this type of film. The script is obviously based on a stage play, as the structure is very much limited to certain locations and the majority of the narrative is based around the series of interviews that Davenport conducts. However, though the structure of the story is confined somewhat to its stage beginnings, the execution of the film helps show more than tell some of the interview sequences and keep the viewer interested in what is happening.

The majority of the film’s actors are African-American and all of them do wonderful jobs in their respective roles. Early appearances of celebrities such as Denzel Washington and David Alan Grier are made throughout the film. Caesar, who plays Waters, as earlier mentioned was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this film for which I guess I found deserving. There was nothing spectacular to me about his performance aside from a few select scenes, but all in all it was a solid portrayal of the character. In my opinion, however, if anyone from the film deserved a nomination, it would be Denzel Washington as Private First Class Peterson. I felt like every second of his time on screen was entrancing and it’s no wonder from this early role that he developed into such a wonderful, well-respected actor.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It’s one of those films from the 1980s that seems to kind of evaporated a bit over time as far as public knowledge, but who’s story and performances make it a definite must see for anyone who enjoys films with justice and equality as a strong thematic motivator.